In the British Colonies, titles or occupations were used as personal identifiers in deeds, court records and legal documents. These titles or occupations also reflected the socioeconomic status of the individuals.
Members of the upper class took the title of Gentleman or Esquire. This class included wealthy Landowners, Judges, Lawyers and college graduates.
The upper middle class included Physicians, Merchants, Soldiers, Sailors, and Clergyman.
The middle class was the Yeoman class. The disparity of wealth within this class was quite large.
The lower middle class consisted of Farmers, Husbandmen who were farmers without land, widows and artisans such as Cordwainers, Weavers, Blacksmiths, and Coopers, to name a few.
The lower class consisted of Laborers, Apprentices, and Servants.